The 2010 Buick LaCrosse has an impressive look to it. Just look at the front and rear shots and you’ll want to take a second look. This is aggressive styling for the “old people’s brand.” I think Buick will make a come back with cars like this.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to do was put out a shingle and people flocked into the dealership? Those days are gone (if they were ever here). But thankfully, the internet has given average people the ability to reach a larger audience.
Take my sales website, andyrupert.com, for instance. After only nine months, it’s been doing fairly well. Statistics were looking pretty good until I accidentally erased the blog. It’s been rebuilt (as you would presume if you are reading this right now) but statistics are not what they once were. So, I decided to look into what the reasons might be.
Last night, my website took a test—the website grader test. This helpful site was linked to on my control panel. The first time the results were pretty abysmal: 61 out of 100! That’s a D- on a 10 point scale. But thankfully, the test gives suggestions as to how to remedy the problems. After making some minor corrections, including registering my URL at several locations, the score jumped to a 78/100.
I’m not satisfied with that score but it does give me an idea of how effective the site is. I also took the time to compare my grade of 78 to several other sites. How do I compare? Let’s see:
99.9 — Hemmings Motor Blog
98.1 — Saabs United
78 — AndyRupert.com
65 — High Maintenance
57 — Leikin Volvo
47 — Swedish Solution
44 — Montrose Volvo
As you can see, I’m doing somewhat better than some and quite a bit worse than others. The point of seeing the grade is to make improvements and more sales. So, if you have any ideas … free ones, that is … then let me know.
Shifting blame for Chrysler’s failure to the dealer body was childish, and the callous manner in which they dismissed their long-time partners was cowardly. To divert attention from their own failures, management’s perfidious punks in pinstripes approached the Congressional bailout altar and offered the 789 dealers as sacrificial scapegoats. Chrysler will suffer lasting consequences for their egregious behavior. … The initial tickle of resentment, hard feelings and bad press could even cascade into a flood of anti-Chrysler sentiment that further devalues their brand and soils their reputation.
Dave Anderson in The Cascading Consequence of Unethical Leadership
My first car job was at a Honda dealership in Dublin, Ohio. It lasted for the summer before I moved to Wisconsin to finish my college degree. All I did was oil changes and warranty work, but it was enough to convince me that Hondas were the greatest cars on earth. And at that time (early 1990′s) the quality was pretty good.
My affections lie elsewhere now, but I must admit that the following video was very well done … and funny.
I was just finishing up another school year driving bus for the local HeadStart program. It had been a good year. My co-workers were friendly and the job was enjoyable. But having to find a decent part-time job every summer was getting old. What could I do year round that I would enjoy and that would provide for my family? Some time later, I saw an advertisement in the help wanted section of the newspaper for car sales. Was that something I could do?
The automobile has always had a special place in my heart. From domestic to foreign, from Chevy to Jaguar—I’d owned and enjoyed many cars. But could I make it as a car salesman? You know the typical stereotype of a used car salesman. He’s someone who dresses flashy, talks a lot, and doesn’t let the truth get in the way of a sale. That’s not how most people would describe me. I’m more of the quiet, honest, and conservative type. And to make things even more interesting, I am a committed Christian and have served in several church ministry positions. Why would I want to join the ranks of “slimy” salesmen?
Let’s just think about this for a moment. Does a car salesman have to lie about a car to make the sale? I don’t think so. I’ve learned that people tend to trust you more often when you are honest and straight forward with them. Does a car salesman have to use high pressure tactics to make the sale? Not necessarily. My method has been to point out the excellent selling points in each car, sit down and discover the customer’s needs, logically show the value of the car and then ask for a decision after the test drive. If the customer is ready to make a decision, he will. If not, he may need more information, but I’m willing to wait for him to make his own decision. Some people just need time to think things over.
My job is to help each customer to find the perfect car for their situation. And if possible, I will do that. But, even if I am unable to sell every customer a car, I want to break the stereotype. I think it is possible to enjoy the car shopping experience. But if you’re still wondering, stop by and I’ll do my best to show you the difference.
For it’s 60th anniversary, Motor Trend recently came out with its 60 coolest cars of the last 60 years. Not surprisingly, two of them were Jaguars (the Mark II and the E-type). But I must admit that a few cars were missing that would have made my own list. But then again, who am I?
Well, let me answer that questions. I’m a car salesman who has owned and driven a number of interesting cars over the years. And I’m a blogger who happens to have time to write an article about his own coolest cars. So, let Motor Trend have their own ideas … and I’ll express my own.
1. 1982 Jaguar XJ-S V12 HE
This is my favorite car of all that I’ve owned or might have a chance to ever own. It’s one of those designs that some people love and others can’t stand to see. But to me, it’s the ultimate car in my budget range. The beautiful sloping hood and raised headlights along with the V-12 engine make this a car that won’t easily be forgotten.
2. 1988 SAAB 900 Turbo 5 speed
After owning two other Classic 900s, I found this one on eBay in the Washington DC area. The price was right and the performance exhilarating. What a difference the upgraded suspension and turbo charger made over the model S. And having found an SPG box in the junk yard also bumped up the horse power and throttle response. It was quite the car because of it’s classic Swedish styling, powerful kick, comfortable leather seats, and nicely upholstered plaid door inserts.
3. 2008 Volvo C30 2.0 6 speed
Yes, the Volvo S60R should probably be in this spot, but there’s something about the styling of the C30 that bumped the R down a notch. With a 227 hp turbo charged 5 cylinder mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox, this was one fun car to drive. I may never own one, but I’ll take every chance to drive one!
4. 1980 Chevy Monza
I was a poor college student working for the Tradin’ Times in Columbus, Ohio, when a college chum gave this car to me. At the time, it was the coolest car I had ever owned. It had cloth bucket seats, a leaky automatic 3 speed, and the iron duke 2.5 liter four cylinder. It’s nothing compared to the cars above, but at the time, it was “pretty cool.”
A lady in our church has been driving this SAAB 900 Turbo for as long as I can remember. I think it’s a 1984 or 85 model. Each time she drives it to church, a smile creeps across my face. It’s just nice to see an older Swede in such good condition … and attending services.
Remember the friend of mine trying to sell his Ford van before his family moved to Cambodia to do mission work? I just received an email that his prayers were answered. The van will be bought by several Christian missionaries leaving Cambodia for a year of meetings in the US. It looks like a good situation all around.
I’m not sure what happened, but it appears that somehow I erased the entire blog. That’s not quite the best way to start the month of September, but there still is good news. August was a record month for andyrupert.com. We had 11,545 unique visitors and over 130,000 hits! And after 8 months on the web, we’ve recorded almost 1/3 of a million hits! Hurrah!
